TV: THE GOODIES

by PETER TATCHELL (reprinted from LAUGH MAGAZINE #3, 1992)

In the 1970s, BBC Television produced one o[ the most inventive comedy programs ever screened. The Goodies was a mixture of topicality, special effects and highly creative sight gags. Ostensibly a situation comedy, it was more akin to the great days of Mack Sennett one-reelers or their later equivalents, the cartoon. In a Goodies storyline, the link with reality would often disappear very early in the plot with the heroes heading off down some tangential joke sequence unrelated to the original premise.

Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie first worked together in the 1963 Cambridge Footlights revue A Clump of Plinths (although Garden was only involved on the writing side). The show, which also featured John Cleese, David Hatch and Jo Kendall, was given a West End season under the title Cambridge Circus and was later performed in New Zealand and finally New York.

A 30-minute radio version was broadcast in the BBC Home Service on December 30 1963, and led to a spinoff series called I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again which ran for some ten years and over a hundred programs. Garden joined the cast in late 1965 (in place of Cleese who was temporarily unavailable) and also contributed scripts for many of the sketches, usually in partnership with Bill Oddie. By the end of the show’s run, Garden and Oddie were writing the entire show themselves.(see the Laughterlog profile of the series in the RADIO section)

In 1967, Cleese and Brooke-Taylor took part in the landmark television series At Last The 1948 Show which adapted a number of I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again pieces, and paved the way for Monty Python. Later that year, Oddie (who’d occasionally appeared on the 1948 Show) and Garden fronted their own series Twice a Fortnight on BBC l. Broaden Your Mind followed in 1968 with Brooke-Taylor, Garden and Jo Kendall, and for its second series in late 1969 Bill Oddie joined the cast.

In 1970 the BBC Comedy Department signed Garden, Oddie and Brooke-Taylor for a follow-up, to be titled Narrow Your Mind. The setting was to be an agency run by the three, who would offer to do anything, any time, thus allowing a fairly wide-ranging format. By the time it went to air in late 1970 the show had been retitled The Goodies.

Early programs in the series adhered fairly closely to the idea of having the team hired to perform some task at the behest of a client, but eventually the motivation for their actions comes from the characters themselves. “Tim” is portrayed as a bit of an upper-class twit, staunchly loyal to Her Majesty and anything intrinsically British. “Graeme” is more often than not the mad scientist, adept at creating weird devices and strange concoctions which invariably backfire at a crucial moment. And “Bill” is the champion of environmental causes, women’s lib or any of the other issues requiring a placard or a soapbox. To a degree they also represent the three levels of the class system, as satirised so cleverly by John Cleese and the two Ronnies on The Frost Report a decade earlier.

Despite a background of writing many hours of radio comedy, Garden and Oddie (and Brooke-Taylor for the first five seasons) were able to script a series which relied on visual humour for much of its success. Each episode included several slapstick action sequences which, instead of using piano accompaniment as in the old silent movie days, were backed by dozens of original compositions by Bill Oddie, and sung by the trio. Many of these were performed on commercial LPs released during the show’s run.

By the end of their second series The Goodies weas winning prizes, with a specially expanded version of the Kitten Kong story being awarded the Silver Rose at the Montreux Festival. In addition to the regular half-hour episodes of the programme, they also produced several special editions, including a send-up of Jack In The Beanstalk (screened on Christmas Eve 1974) and a mixture of political satire and well-known children’s characters titled Goodies Rule – OK? (aired at Christmas 1976).

The original concept had by now become so flexible that the Goodies could be encountered in different time eras, from ancient Rome to the year 2001, UFOs and space creatures appeared from time to time, and on more than one occasion the team (and indeed the whole planet) was wiped out, only to return (cartoon-like) on subsequent programmes.

Following the popularity of their recording career, they even devoted an entire show to a pop-concert version of their musical numbers (abandoning a plot entirely).

Apart from their BBC appearances, the Goodies were also featured in the all-star 1976 Amnesty International fundraising concert A Poke In The Eye With A Sharp Stick (and the television documentary about its staging Pleasure At Her Majesty’s). Following the Python trend of bursting into print, they compiled three souvenir books The Goodies File, The Goodies’ Book Of Criminal Records and The Making Of The Goodies’ Disaster Movie, all of which proved popular with fans and collectors.

After more than sixty programs with the BBC, the team switched networks and went commercial in 1981, producing a further seven episodes for London Weekend Television. Now, instead of parodying advertisements (as in their earlier BBC editions) a Goodies watcher was “treated” to the real thing. The format was still the same, but after only one season the trio hung up their trandem clips and went their separate ways.

And for two decades the Goodies disappeared from view … in Britain anyway. But on the far side of the planet, new generations of fans were created when ABC television in Australia regularly aired repeats at 6:30pm weeknights. In 2000, these antipodean addicts decided to stage a 30th anniversary convention in Melbourne and Tim Brooke-Taylor flew out to attend the 3-day event (with Bill and Graeme taking part in a special video link-up).

The success of the gathering led to a stage show The Goodies Still Alive – on Stage in March 2005, with Tim and Graeme presenting clips and answering questions from audiences in major Australian cities. The venture was repeated in Britain soon after. And finally, in 2005, the BBC commissioned a 90-minute special Return of the Goodies with all three Goodies taking part.

Episode Guide

Series 11 November 8 1970 The Tower of LondonGuest star: George Baker
A plainclothes Beefeater seeks the Goodies’ help when someone is found to be pilfering the beef at the Tower.2 November 15 1970 SnoozeGuest star: Roddy Maude-Roxby
The Goodies are asked to help market a sleeping potion, but Graeme’s improved formula causes serious problems.3 November 22 1970 Give Police a ChanceGuest stars: Paul Whitsun-Jones and Roland Macleod
The Goodies are hired to improve the image of the police, but a force of peace-loving hippies is not exactly what’s required.4 November 29 1970 Caught in the ActProgram exists in black-and-white only.Guest stars: Liz Fraser and Mollie Sugden
A lady cabinet minister asks the Goodies to retrieve some damaging photos from the notorious Playgirl Club.5 December 6 1970 The GreeniesGuest stars: George Benson and Richard Caldicot
The Goodies must save the environment from the experiments of an Army research establishment6 December 13 1970 CecilyGuest star: Ann Way and Robert Benal
The Goodies are engaged as gardener, cook and nanny in a household where strange goings-on are going on7 December 20 1970 Radio GoodiesIf starting a pirate radio station is such a good idea why not a pirate Post Office?

Series 21 October 1 1971 ScotlandGuest stars: Stanley Baxter and Bernard Bresslaw
The Goodies agree to help a zookeeper find a suitable inhabitant for his newly-built monster cage2 October 8 1971 The Commonwealth GamesProgram exists in black and white onlyGuest star: Reginald Marsh
The Goodies must represent their country at the Commonwealth Games and do battle with competitors from August Bank Holiday Island3 October 15 1971 PollutionGuest star: Ronnie Stevens
To counteract London’s atmospheric gunk, the Goodies decide to do a bit of aerial plant spraying from their flying trandem4 October 22 1971 The Lost Tribe (of the Orinoco)Guest star: Roy Kinnear
The Goodies mount an expedition to locate a missing professor somewhere in the wilds of darkest Kent5 October 29 1971 The Music LoversGuest star: Henry McGee
The Goodies stage a three-day rock concert to help catch the person responsible for the disappearance of the world’s greatest musicians6 November 5 1971 Culture for the MassesGuest stars: Julian Orchard and Tommy Godfrey
To stop the drain on Britain’s artworks, the Goodies try to attract public support by turning the National Gallery into a theme park7 November 12 1971 Kitten KongOriginal version no longer exists, but an amended version was prepared for the Montreux Festival.When Bill opens a veterinary clinic, Graeme develops a super pet food, which has disastrous effects on a cute little kitten8 November 19 1971 Wicked Waltzing (aka Come Dancing)Guest stars: Joan Sims and June Whitfield
The Goodies find a ballroom dancing championship is full of bitterness and intense rivalry9 December 10 1971 Farm Fresh FoodGuest stars: John Le Mesurier and Frank Thornton
While visiting Tim’s uncle, the Goodies encounter a fully computerised farm, complete with mechanised animal husbandry and battery hens (batteries not included)10 December 17 1971 Women’s LibGuest stars: Allan Cuthbertson and Gaye Brown
Bill reports the other Goodies to the Women’s Libbers for their sexist behaviour, and Tim is forced into a spot of cross-dressing to see how the other half lives11 December 31 1971 Gender EducationGuest stars: Beryl Reid and Richard Wattis
A “Keep Filth off Television” crusader hires the Goodies to produce a nice sex education film12 January 7 1972 Charity BounceGuest stars: Freddy Jones and Jonathan Cecil
As part of a fundraising campaign for worthy causes, the Goodies convince Sparklypegs Toothpaste to sponsor them in a bounce against want13 January 14 1972 The BaddiesGuest stars: Patrick Troughton and John Junkin
The Goodies’ chances of winning a national popularity contest are not helped when a rival competitor creates three nasty look-alikes of them

Engelbert and the Young GenerationBBC1 January 9 to April 2 1972 (13 episodes)The Goodies provided a short sketch in most episodes

specialSeptember 24 1972 A Collection of Goodiesincludes a selection of sketches from Engelbert and the Young Generation

Christmas Night with the StarsBBC1 December 25 1972
featured a Goodies sketch: The Goodies Travelling Instant Five Minute Christmas

Series 31 February 4 1973 The New OfficeGuest star: Joe Melia
After waiting months for their office to be modernised, the Goodies move into a
deserted railway station but are menaced by giant earth-moving machines2 February 11 1973 Hunting PinkGuest star: Erik Chitty
When Tim inherits a large estate by pretending to be a keen huntsman, Bill and Graeme decide to thwart his plans to promote the cruel sport3 February 18 1973 Winter OlympicsGuest star: Peter Jones
The Goodies are asked to represent Britain at the Winter Olympics but because the snow is so slippery to ski on they decide to melt it4 February 25 1973 That Old Black MagicGuest star: Patricia Hayes
When the Goodies agree to help a witch, Graeme becomes possessed and goes over to the dark side before transforming into a gibbon5 March 4 1973 For Those in Peril on the SeaGuest star: Henry McGee
The Goodies embark on a voyage of exploration only to run afoul of a wealthy shipping and pollution magnate6 March 11 1973 Way Outward BoundGuest stars: Joan Sims and Bill Fraser
Unable to make money by supplying young volunteers to the rigors of a tough education course, the Goodies dress as children and enrol themselves

specialJuly 7 1973 SuperstarBill succeeds in being recognised as a great musician and is given his own rock opera

Series 41 December 1 1973 CamelotGuest star: Alfie Bass
When Tim is asked to mind his uncle’s castle, the Goodies decide to turn it into an amusement park2 December 8 1973 Invasion of the Moon CreaturesGuest star: Patrick Moore
The Goodies’ trip to the moon is plagued by lunar rabbits who return to earth intent on conquest3 December 15 1973 Hospital for HireGuest star: Harry H. Corbett
The government closes all the hospitals to save money so the Goodies must step in to cure the nation’s sick

specialDecember 24 1973 The Goodies and the Beanstalk (45 min)
Guest star: Alfie Bass
The Goodies quest for the goose that lays golden eggs leads them through an “It’s A Knockout” course of obstacles

4 December 29 1973 The Stone AgeThe Goodies fall through the earth’s crust and land in a prehistoric cavern where they set up house in the body of a tyrannosaurus rex5 January 5 1974 Goodies in the NickGuest stars: Jack Douglas and Erik Chitty
The Goodies agree to help a police sergeant with a very low arrest rate, but are double-crossed and end up in jail6 January 12 1974 The RaceGuest star: Bill Weston
The Goodies enter their mobile office in the annual Le Mans and are pitted against an evil baron intent on winning

Series 51 February 10 1975 MoviesThe Goodies have set up their own film studio but internal bickering leads them to run amok through some of the great silent films2 February 17 1975 Clown VirusGuest star: John Bluthal
The Goodies are called in by the army when a strange plague starts turning people into clowns3 February 24 1975 Radio 2 (aka Chubby Chumps)Guest star: Michael Aspel
The Goodies take over the BBC’s Radio 2 and Tim becomes an entrant in the “Housewife of the Year” quest4 March 3 1975 Wacky WalesGuest star: Jon Pertwee
The Goodies travel to an island off the Welsh coast to take part in an eisteddfod but before long they’re involved in a pagan sacrifice ritual5 March 10 1975 FrankenfidoGuest star: Magnus Magnusson
In an effort to thwart Tim and Bill’s entry at the Cruft’s Ideal Dog Exhibition, Graeme invents a creature with a long snout and six tegs6 March 17 1975 Scatty SafariGuest star: Tony Blackburn and Sheila Steafel
The Goodies set up a safari park containing popular television personalities, but a herd of Rolf Harrises escapes and causes havoc7 March 24 1975 Kung Fu KapersGuest star: Michael Barratt
Bill has become a master of the ancient art of Ecky-Thump and the only way to restrain him is to hotwire his supply of black puddings8 March 31 l975 Lighthouse Keeping LooniesGuest star: Patrick Moore
The Goodies are put in charge of a lighthouse which is soon launched into space9 April 7 1975 Rome AnticsGuest star: Roy Kinnear
A group of Goodies in ancient Briton are despatched to Rome where they invent, the Olympic Games for the Emperor10 April 14 1975 Cunning StuntsGuest star: Tessa Wyatt
Bill cannot marry his ladylove until her eccentric (but very rich) father can be made to laugh11 April 21 1975 South AfricaGuest star: Philip Madoc
The Goodies are kidnapped and taken to South Africa where they replace apartheid with a system that discriminates against short people12 April 28 1975 O.K. Tea RoomsThe Goodies go mining for strawberry jam and scones, and a very nasty poker game ensues13 May 5 1975 The EndGuest stars: Corbet Woodall and Sheila Steafel
The Goodies are trapped in their office which has been entombed under layers of concrete

specialMay 10 1975 The Golden RoseThe Goodies host a feature about the Montreux Festival, with an extract from the episode Movies

specialDecember 21 1975 Goodies Rule – OK? (50 min)
Guest star: Terry Wogan
Britain has been taken over by a puppet government and the Goodies must do battle with Sooty, the Flowerpot Men and other television creatures

Series 61 September 21 1976 Lips or Almighty CodAfter Britain’s waters are fished out by the eskimos, Graeme invents a gigantic new species of cod to restock the oceans2 September 28 1976 Hype PressureGuest stars: McDonald Hobley and Corbet Woodall
Tim becomes a power-crazed TV personality launching a nationwide revival of fifties Rock n Roll and national service, flower power and World War 23 October 5 1976 Daylight Robbery on the Orient ExpressThe Goodies entice the world’s greatest detectives to join their mystery trip aboard the Orient Express, but a group of Baddies interfere4 October l2 1976 Black and White BeautyBill enters a pantomime horse in the Grand National, not realising it is inhabited by Tim and Graeme5 October 19 1976 It Might as Well be StringGuest star: Raymond Baxter
The Goodies promote an exciting new product … string, and launch a mass-marketing campaign6 October 26 1976 2001 and a BitGuest star: Oliver Gilbert
21st Century descendants of the Goodies rediscover the ancient game of cricket and search out the last survivors of the British test team7 November 2 1976 The Goodies – Almost LiveGuest stars: Jacquie Sullivan and Joy Yates
The Goodies perform a selection of their greatest hits:Please Let Us PlayGood Ole Country MusicCactus In My Y-FrontsPoor Old SoulThe Funky GibbonThrowing UpThe InbetweeniesBlack Pudding BerthaNappy LoveBounceThe Last Chance DanceWild ThingThe Goodies Theme

Series 71 November 1 1977 Alternative RootsGuest star: Bryan Pringle
The Goodies trace their ancestry and discover they’re descended from the Black And White Minstrels, who are staging a revolt2 November 8 1977 DodonutsBill has located the world’s last dodo bird but must prevent Tim and Graeme from eating it3 November 22 1971 ScoutrageousGuest stars: Frank Windsor and Michael Barratt
Bill is fascinated by Tim’s involvement with scouting and sets out to collect all the merit badges, especially the one for world domination4 November 29 1971 Rock GoodiesGuest stars: Jane Asher and Frank Thornton
The Goodies update their music to punk, and find their career path mirroring that of Cinderella5 December 6 1971 Royal CommandFollowing a series of nasty accidents, the Goodies are asked to stand in for the Royal Family6 December 22 1977 EarthanasiaUpon hearing the world is about to end, the Goodies confront their inner psychoses

Series 81 January 14 1980 PoliticsGuest star: David Dimbleby
Margaret Thatcher is on the outer so Her Majesty asks the Goodies to take over the running of the country2 January 21 1980 Saturday Night GreaseWhen Tim is refused admission to his local disco, Bill and Graeme set up their own extremely exclusive venue3 January 28 1980 A Kick in the ArtsGuest stars: Ballard Berkeley and Roland MacLeod
Bill and Graeme set up a casino to help finance the British team for the forthcoming Olympics4 February 4 1980 U-Friend or U.F.O.Guest star: Roger Brierley
The location of the Goodies’ new restaurant “Knutter’s Knoll” is notable for attracting intergalactic aliens5 February 11 1980 AnimalsGuest stars: Mel Smith and Patrick Moore
A television discussion about animal liberation is disrupted by a doggy mutiny but escaping dressed as rabbits is asking for trouble6 February 18 1980 War BabiesGuest stars: Geoffrey Palmer and Andrew Ray
During World War 2, two-year-old Goodies are sent behind enemy lines and construct a mechanical Winston Churchill

Series 91 December 27 1981 Snow White 2Guest stars: David Rappaport and Annette Lyons
When three of the dwarfs need replacing, the Goodies apply for the job only to be confronted by eleven wicked princesses.2 January 9 1982 RobotTo save money, Tim and Graeme sack Bill and replace him with a robot and, soon after, hire a strange bearded nanny to look after it.3 January 16 1982 Football CrazyGuest stars: Wayne Sleep and Kenneth Wolstenholme
Tim agrees to head a task force to stamp out soccer hooligans like Bill, but finds the crowds have moved into the world of ballet and set up teams of performers4 January 23 1982 Big FootThe Goodies set out to locate the mythical Arthur C. Clarke but end up creating a monster5 January 30 1982 Change of LifeIt’s Bill’s birthday but he and his fellow Goodies would rather ignore the fact that they may be getting a bit past it6 February 6 1982 HolidaysIt’s holiday time but Tim’s choice of a chalet away from it all turns out to be boredom personified7 February 13 1982 AnimalsGraeme’s pet shop is right out of pets, but luckily he has in stock a loveable little scamp called Bill.

… At Last a Second HelpingNetwork 2DVD (2005)Radio Goodies
Come Dancing
The Movies
South Africa
Bunfight at the OK Tearooms
The End
Scoutrageous
Punky Business
+ segments from A Collection of Goodies and 1972 Christmas Night with the Stars

The Complete LWT Series
Network 2DVD

At Last … Back for More AgainNetwork 2DVD (2010)Cecily
The Music Lovers
The New Office
Goodies Rule – OK?
Camelot
It Might As Well Be String
2001 and a Bit
Royal Command

Yum Yum – The Very Best Of The GoodiesMusic Club CD MCCD 294 (1997)
CD reissue of material from the Bradley’s albumsGoodies ThemeFunky GibbonThe InbetweeniesPlease Let Us PlayCustard PieBlack Pudding BerthaCricklewoodGood Old Country MusicNappy LoveBaby SambaWild ThingRock With A PolicemanThe Cricklewood ShakedownPanicI’m A TeapotWorking The LineSick Man BluesLast Chance DanceFather Christmas Do Not Touch MeMake A Daft Noise ForChristmas

Funky Gibbon – The Best Of The GoodiesCastle Pie CD PIESD 243
reissue of the above CD, minus four tracks …Goodies ThemeFunky GibbonThe InbetweeniesPlease Let Us PlayBlack Pudding BerthaCricklewoodGood Old Country MusicNappy LoveWild ThingRock With A PolicemanPanicI’m A TeapotSick Man BluesLast Chance DanceFather Christmas Do Not Touch MeMake A Daft Noise ForChristmas

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